Pour spouts are employed on containers to dispense various types of products, including, but not limited to, granular products (e.g., pet litter, laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, etc.), rice, cereal, dry pet food, and gun pellets. Although metal and plastic pour spouts have been applied to containers for many years, the application of such metal and plastic spouts is costly because the spouts require special and expensive application equipment and cause decreased assembly line efficiencies.
In an effort to reduce the costs associated with the application of pour spouts to containers, pour spouts composed of paperboard have been introduced to the marketplace in recent years. One of the preferred features of such paperboard pour spouts is that they be relatively durable and adaptable to a wide variety of container types and sizes. Other preferred features of such paperboard pour spouts is that they include tactile or audible feedback indicative of positive reclosure and are able to prevent spillage or sifting of the contents of the container in the area of the pour spout. Although pour spouts having such features have been developed for smaller/lighter one-piece paperboard containers, they have heretofore not been developed for larger volume and/or heavier cartons requiring liners.
Accordingly, a need exists for a paperboard pour spout which overcomes the above-noted shortcomings associated with existing pour spouts.